Engine starter



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,697. 1. H. RICHARDS.

ENGINE STARTER.

FILED DEC. 2. 1919.

INVENTOR A TTORIIEY Patented Jan. 2, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,440,697 PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE STARTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Engine Starter, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon. I

My'invention relates to means for starting engines, particularly of the internal combustion type, wherein the engine member is provided with gear teeth whichare adapted to be engaged by a drivin member operated by an electric motor. y' invention is especially adapted for use in connection with a starter or engagement, such as.

shown in Rushmore Patent sued July 31, 1917.

In drives or'starters of this type full en gagement of the driving'member with the engine member is brought about by the longitudinal movement of the armature of the electric motor or some portion of its 'drive' shaft. The motors used for this purpose are of the series type and when the starting switch is closed the amount of curent flowing through the motor for a short period of time is from three to .five times the current required for cranking the engine after the break away of the engine is effected and during this interval of heavy current flow the motor generates a very high torque and the armature is pulled into its normal running position, wherein the magnetic part ofthe armature is centrally located with respect to the field poles, with tremendous force and with considerable clashing of the driving pinion with the gear teeth on the engine member. {It frequently happens that the driving gear does not immediately mesh with the gear teeth on the engine member and some of the teeth will be broken off even though the teeth on the engine member and on the pinion are beveled oil to assist in making the engagement.

It is the principal object of my invention to eliminate breakage of teeth on the engine member as well as on the engaging gear itself, although the breakage usually comes on the teeth of engine member. I

It is another object of my invention to shorten the construction of certain parts Other and further objects will be appar- I ent to one skilled in the art after a study of the annexed drawing and specification. My invention will best be understood by reference to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a part sectional view of an eng ne starter including a diagrammatic illustration of the Wiring.

Since the Rushmore type of drive is well understood or as may be obtained from the patent .heretofore referred to, the'general operation will not be described in detail, except as it is used in connection with my improvement. v

In the drawing, 1. illustrates the frame of a starting motor having twopole pieces 2 and 3 fastened thereto. It Wlll be under- .stood that the motor may have as many as being acted on at one end by a spring 9, in such manner that the armature 4 is normally held in a displaced position with reference to the pole pieces 2 and 3 andcommutator 5 is made long enough to allow for the armature 4 to move horizontally in its running position when current is sent through the motor by means of ti: switch 10 which-is connected in circuit wit a battery 11. Motors of this kind are usually of the series type, as indicated. The armature shaft 8 has extension 12yvhich is made up of two portions, a threaded portion 13 a a smooth portion 14. A driving member ,or

pinion 15 is normally positioned on the armature 4 having a commutator 5 with brushes 6 and 7 rest: lng thereon. The armature shaft 8 is shown smooth portion 14, being held closely adjacent the threaded portion 13 by a yielding member or spring 16 that is in turn held in position by any suitable .means,- such as washer 17 and nut 18. "An engine member 19 carries receive the teeth of the driving member 15. It is the usual practice to make these engagements on thefiywheel of the engine and a section of the ywheel is therefore indicated at 19.-

gear teeth 20 that are adapted to In the operation of my device when 'electric' current is passed through the armature by the closure of the switch 10, the armature or its shaft immediately moveshorizontally bringing the driving member 15 into what if term initial engagement with the gear teeth 20, and if no obstruction is en countered the member 15 will immediately pass-from initial to full engagement against the stop 21which may be a collar on the shaft end 12, by means of the screw threads 13, as will be well understood. Should, however, an obstruction be encountered the pressure applied against the member 15 by the longitudinal movement, of the armature shaft will allow the smooth portion of the shaft to slip freely through the inember 15 and compress the yielding member 16. Im-

mediately the obstruction has passed the member 16 will force the member 15 forward on the smooth portion 14 of the shaft and into initial engagement with the "teeth 20 and the full engagement will then be completed by the screw threads 13, as previously described for engagement when no obstruction is encountered.

it will be understood by one skilled in the art that a yielding initial engagement is obtained by the construction described which will prevent the gear teeth 20 from being broken asoften happens when the member 15 is solid or non-yleldingly mounted on the motor shaft. It will also be seen that the armature 4 moves longitudinailymnly a short distance since a certain percentage of the engagement movement is accomplished automatically by the screw threads 13, there- I fore considerable length of'commutator and detail length of motor is saved by my construction. Another advantage obtained is that the screw threads 13, coacting with the threads on the driving member 15 serve to automatically disengage the member 15 from the engine member before the armature 4 is returned to its normal non-running position by the spring 9; that is to say, in previous devices of this kind the disengagement of the driving member withthe engine member is dependent on the reduced torque of the motor armature caused by the start- Y ing of the engine thereby removing torque efiort from the motor armature but in this case, as explained, the member 15 is disengaged automatically from the engine membere whenever the engine member begins to turn faster than it 'is being turned by the starting motor. consider this one feature of my invention a considerable improvement overthe type of starter described in said Rushmore patent. w apparent that various changes It will be may be made in the detail arangements without departmg from the spirit of my in;

tatable shaft having a smooth portion and a screw threaded portion, a driving member 7 normally positioned on such smooth portion,

and having a threaded bore to engage said screw threaded portion, and yielding means for normally holding such member on the smooth portion adjacent said threaded portion for engagement therewith when the shaft is rotated.

3. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft having a smooth portion and a screw threaded portion, a. driving member normally positioned on such smooth portion, and having a threaded bore to engage said screw threaded portion, said shaft having a stop at the outer end of such smooth portion,

and a spring interposed bewteen the stop and driving member for normally holding such member adjacent said threaded portion. 7 a. An en ine starter drive including a rotatable shaft having a smooth portion and a screw threaded portion, a drivin member normally positioned on such smoot ii portion, and means for normally holding such member on the smooth portion adjacent said threaded portion for-engagement therewith -when the shaft is rotated, said shaft being mounted for bodily endwise movement to carry said driving member into initial engagement with a member of the engine to be started. v

5. In a starter for gas engines and the like the combination of, an engine member, a

driving shaft, a driving member carried on said shaft and free to move longitudinally thereon and rotarily thereof, means for moving said shaft longitudinally of its axis" to produce initial engagement between the engine member and driving member and means on'said shaft for automatically completingthe initial engagement to full en- 'ga'gement.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JULIUS H. RICHARDS.

ioo 

